Razor-stropping device.



J. WALDHEIM.

RAZOR STRGPPING DEVICE. APPLJCATION FFLED NOV. 13 HH- Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

3 SHEETS--SHEET I.

\A/ITNEEEEEL INVENTEJR'.

J. WALDHEIM.

RAZOR STROPPING DEVICE. APPLICATEON EELEO NOV-33.1w

Patentd Nov. 12, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI Z.

LWALDHEIM. RAZOR STRUPPJNG DEWCE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-13. IQII. 1284;829.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918 INVENTEJR:

JOHN WALDHIFIM, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

BAZOR-STROPPING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

Application flied November 13, 1911. Serial No. 659,801.

of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razor-Stropping Devices, of which the following is a.

specification.

My invention relates to razor strapping devices in which the razor stropper is carried by the stro Among the ob]ects of my invention are, rst; to provide a strop wit a plurality of stropping surfaces, any one of which can be brought into cooperation with the razor stro per when desired; sec- 0nd, to provide a lade holder capable of taking razor blades of several different shapes, said blade holder being detachable from the stropping device; third, to provide simplified and efl'ective means for oscillating the blade holder; fourth, to provide means for preventing the strop from displacement on its support; fifth, to provide new and improved means to cause the razor blade to move back and forth across the strop while it is being pulled along on the strop; and sixth, to provide improved means for reversingthe blade automatically, and for pressing it properly against the strop.

My invention also has the object of improv iug devices of the class specified, in other particulars as will appear hereinafter.

To the above ends, my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations and arrangen'ientsof'parts which will be fully set forth herein and particularly pointed out in the claims.

I attain the objects above specified by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in'which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of the device taken on the line w-m of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrow at said line and shows the parts in the positions they .nct'rupy when the device is traveling in the direction of the arrow at the handle.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 3, inwhichso-me of the parts are shown broken away, shows the parts as seen when looking at the left side of the device, the arts shown having the same positions as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the blade I lioldic' on its support and holding one form of razo'n'blade.

Fig. his a sectional, detached view of the blade holder with one ofthe blade holder members swung about its pivot to receive the razor blade.

Fi 6 is a section taken on the line 31-31 of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrow at said line.

Fi s. 7 and 8 are views similar to Fig. ll, but 5 owing different forms of blades in the holder.

Fig. 9 shows a part of the strop and the wavy path in which the-edges of the razor blade travel.

Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of the rock shaft upon which the blade holder is supported.

Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view of the friction wheel and its slotted hub.

Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view of the sliding frame or carriage with some of the working parts omitted.

Fig. 13 is a detail erspective view of the sleeve to which the b ade holder is attached.

Fi 14 is a detail perspective view of the shifting frame and the operating handle.

Fig. 15 is a diagrammatic view and illus trates the advantage of the bend in the strep.

Figs. 16 and 17 are detail views of the two parts of the blade holder. Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the holdmg or clamping device for the stro Figs. 19 and 20 are Ian and si e views respectively of a modified form of strop which can used with my stropping device.

Fig. 21 is a vertical section of the carria taken on the line z--2 of Fig. 1 and loo ing in the direction of the arrow, the shifting frame bein omitted.

Like numerals re er to like arts throughout the several views of the rawin'g.

In the drawing is shown a. sliding frame or carriage comprising side plates 1 which are connected by cross rods 2 which carry rollers 3 and 4, the cross rods 2 and rollers 3 and 4 serving as turning bars for guiding a strop 5. The sliding frame or carriage is supported by and movable on the shop 5. Said strop is preferably continuous or endless in the form of a belt and is carried by two semi-cylindrical sup orts 6 and 7 which serve also as separators or the sides or layers of the strop.

In the side plates 1 of the sliding frame or carriage is Journaled a rock shaft 8 upon shaft 8, one of the arms 'have formed a pivotal connection has at one end a crank arm 9 having therein a. slot 10. The side plates 1 also have ears 11 which project downwardly and on which is mounted blade-shifting means consisting of a shifting frame pivoted to said ears, this frame comprising arms 12 secured to a cross rod 13. The arms 12 have holes 14 (Fig. 14,) through which shouldered screws or pivots 15 are assed and threaded into the ears 11.

Tot e shifting frame, on the rod 13, is pivoted a handle frame comprisinga cross piece 16 with bent up ears 17 and a handle 18.

In order to transmit motion to the rock 12 has an upwardly extending bent off portion 19 which has at its upper end a pin 20 which cooperates with the slot 10 of the crank arm 9' extending from the rock shaft. I

From the foregoing description it is obvious that when the handle 18 is moved in the opposite direction of i the arrow (Fig. 1) it will cause the shifting frame to rotate on its pivots 15, thus transmitting motion to the crank arm 9 and causing the rock shaft to rotate, carrying with it the razor blade, the nth of the edge of the blade being indicated y the are a in Fig. 1. i

It will be understood that the first part of the motion of the handle .will oscillate the blade, thus directing the blade in the opposite direction to that of the travel of the handle and a further motion of the handle will cause the sliding frame or carriage to move along the strop, causing the razor to slide on the str'op.

It will also be understood that-the rotativia motionof the shifting frame 18 stopped by the razor blade striking the strop 5, and that while the carriage, or main frame, is be ing pulled along the strop by the handle and the shifting or secondary frame, the tendency of the handle is to rotate the shitting frame, thuscausing a pressure on the edge of the blade against the strop 5.

The tendency of the operator is to take a firm gri' on the handle and hold the handle substantially parallel, while moving the carriage along on the strop to the position it has when the carriage starts to move, the starting position of the handle 18 being an one intermediate or beyond the two dotte line positions shown in Fig 1.

. In order to accomp ish the fore oing, I etween the shifting frame and the handle frame so as to allow an independent rotative motion of'tlie handle frame relatively to the shifting frame. The blade is thus reversed and pre'ssbd properly against the stro in whatever position the operator holds t e handle. With this construction it is-im ossible for the operator tocontrol the razor lade, from the operating handle, to accidentally cut into t e stro Another 9. vantage of pivoting the handle holder, thereby positioning frame to the shifting frame is to allow the handle 18 to lie close to the strop while storingthe device.

he blade holder shown in the accomdrawing is ca able of receiving des of several different shapes. In the present instance I have shownthree' styles of blades B, C D, (Figs. 4, 7 and 8 respectively). The b ado holder consists 0 two members or elements 21, 22' pivotally connected. The member 21 has two spring fingers 23 which project laterally un'deroentup portions 24 o the member 22, thus orm'- ing the pivotal connection between the members 21 and 22; The members 21 and have rearwardly extending fingers or jaws 25 .which embrace a sleeve 26 mounted .on the rock shaft 8. Each finger 5 has at its end a bent retaining portion 2 ixdapted to panying razor -b a snap over the sleeve 26 and terminates in a One of the elements 21, 22 has two arms 25 at its end; and the other of said elements has one arm 25 in its middle, so that, when removed from the sleeve 26, said elements are capable of opening up wide as shown in Fig. 5.

For the purpose of ositioning the razor blades in the holder, have provided the member 22 with two spring ngersBO, (Fig. 17), which are integral with the member 22, and have at their ends heat off at- 31 rounded flat portions 32. To position any of the razor blades the member 21 is swung about its pivot 23, 24 to a position shown in Fig. 5 althou h it may be swung farther if desired. The lade B isshown as a Gillette blade, which has two it. If this blade Bis to be attached, it is placed on the member 22 so that the rounded oitions 32 will fit into said holes 33. If it 18 deired to attach the razor blade G which is provided at one end with a piece of bent metal 34, it is placed on the mom er 22 and pulled forward until the metal piece 34 strikes the rounded portions 32 of the blade the blade C on the holder. D is a Star blade which has the cross section of an ordinary razor, and the members 21, 22, except the arms 30= are made to conform to this shape, as shown in Figs. 8 and 15. This blade, when it is inserted, is first laid on the member 21 which conforms to its shape. After ositioning any one of these razor blades C or D, the blade holder is then closed by swinging the two members 21 and 22 toward each other.

By an inspection of Figs. 4, 7 and 8 it will be seen that when the blade B is attached (Fig. 4) it is held in position by the rounded portions 32 and clamped by the members 21 and 22 at 35 and 36; \Vhen the blade 0 is attached (Fig. 7) it is positioned b the rounded portions 32 and clam ed y the mem ers 21, and 22 at 35 and 37. hen the blade is attached it is held cam portion 28.

holes 33 through in position by the members 21 and 22 as they both conform to the shape of theblade and is clamped thereby, the rounded portions 32 which position the blades B and C being forced back out of the space occupied by the blade holder.

To attach the blade holder to the rock shaft I have rovided the sleeve 26 which is splined to t e rock shaft 8 by a rib 39 on the rock shaft 8 and a groove 40 in the sleeve 26. The purpose of mounting the sleeve 26 in this manner will hereinafter be more full explained. The sleeve 26 is also provide with three cut outs or fiattened parts 41. When attaching the blade holder the sleeve is first turned to a convenicnt position and the cam faces 28 of the fingers or jaws 25 are set against the edges 42 (Fig. 13) of the cut outs 41. When a usb is exerted at right angles to the memer 26 the bent portions 27 of the fingers 25 will ride up on and over the flat sur faces of the cut-outs 41, the member 26 actin as a wedge thus causing the members 21 and 22 to separate slightly at the rear against the tension of the s ring fingers 23 of the member 21 and pro iicin a clam ing effect, of the members 21 an 22, on t e razor blade. It is obvious that the blade holder is clamped on the sleeve by the fingers 25 hearing on the flat surfaces of the cut-outs 41 and is held thereon by the bent off portions 27. It will be understood that when the blade holder is on the sleeve the spring fingers 23 of the member 21 are under tension. 7

Referring again to the oscillating of the blade holder and then moving it along the strop, I have provided means for causing a resistance of the sliding frame or carriage on the strop, said resistance being variable according to the pull exerted on the strop, thus reducing a variable pressure of the razor lade on the strop which is controlled by the latter. This I have accomplished by guiding the strop 5 'through a series of staggered rollers or turning bars. The resistance of the carriage is always such that when the handle 8 is moved the earriage will he held back until the razor blade is received and comes in contact with the strop when all the arts will be moved along on the strop. ith this construction it is impossible to accidentally cut into the strop, the razorblade being reversed before it is moved bodily lengthwise of the strop. Ordinarily, the rock shaft 8 will turn to the position shown in Fi 3. By an inspection of this figureitwill be seen that the rock shaft is capable of being rotated still farther as the pin 20 has not yet reached the end of the slot 10. By increasing the pull on the strop 5 through the handle 44 the resistance of the carriage can be increased so as to cause the pin 20 to travel to the end of the slot before the carria e is set into motion, the crank pin 20 and t e end of the slot 10 acting as a pair of cooperative stops for limiting the motion of the shifting frame. During the time that the pin is traveling from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the end of the slot the sleeve is caused to rotate slightly between the fingers or jaws 25 of the blade holder, thus flexing the spring fin ers 23 and causing a greater pressure of t e razor edge on the strop. This does not take place unless it is desired to increase the pressure of the blade against the strop.

By a furtherinspectiou of Fig. 3 it will be understood that when the shifting frame is set into motion' its effect on the blade holder will be to give it a very slow start and its mction will. be accelerated until it reaches a vertical position from where its motion will be retarded thus causing the blade to meet the strop geinly and not strike it a glancing blow. Another feature is obvious in this figure which is, that the weight of the handle 18, when said handle is let go and allowed to hang freel will position the parts so as to normally liold the razor blade awav from the strop.

I provide the rollers 3 to guide the strop and insure that the strop takes the same path between the rollers 3 and 4 at all times so as to maintain the proper stropping angle between the razor blade and the strop.

Another advanta e of guidin the stro throu 'h a series 0 rollers an having it take the course as shown in the drawing, besides that of causing resistance on the strop, is illustrated in Fig. 15 whi.i shows, by the dotted line b, the plane in. which the stro would lie if it were allowed to take, a straight course. By causing a bend in the strop to one side of and in the vicinity of the rock shaft 8, I arrange the parts so as toobtain the true stropping angle between the shopping surface and the razor blade. This is illustrated in the figure referred to where the corner 45 of the razor blade D and the cuttin edge are in the same plane as that part 0 the strop between the rollers 3 and 4. This feature could not be attained if the strop were allowed to take a straight course, as the thickness of the metal of the blade holder at- 46 would prevent the corner 45 of the razor blade from coming in contactv with the strop.

Still another advantage of bending the strop in the vicinity of the rocl tshaft is to make clearance for parts mounted on the rock shaft.

While the razor blade is drawn longitudinally along the strop I also desire to have it travel across the strop from side to side so as to give it a waving motion relatively to the stro as indicated in Fig. 9, by dotted lines 0. o accomplish this, I have mounted on the rock-shaft 8 a friction wheel or cam member 47 which is loose on the shaft and provided with a peripheral cam groove 48. The sleeve 26 has an arm 49 projecting laterally and the arm 49 has a rounded portion 50 bent off from it to engage in the camgroove 48. A roller 43 is provided beneath the rock shaft 8 with re duced ends 51 and 52 which are allowed to play in slots 53, 54 respectively (Fig. 21).

It is obvious that when the carriage is moved along on the strop, the strop will first cause the roller 43 to rise until it IS stopped at one end by hearing against the wheel 47 and the end 52 bearing in the upper end of the slot 54: the roller 43 will be caused to roll on the strop and transmit motion to the wheel 47, thus causing the sleeve 8 and the blade holder to move back and forth diagonally across the strop.

By having a bend in the strop as described and allowing the reduced ends of the roller 43 to play in elongated slots 53 and 54 it will be understood that the pressure of the roller 43, influenced by the strop 5, against the friction wheel or cam member 47 can be increased by increasing the pull on the strop.

As I have stated before, the strop 5 1s preferably continuous or endless, and is carried by semi-cylindrical supports 6 and 7. The reason for making the strop continuous or endless is to provide it with two streping surfaces e and f which can be conveniently shited so as to bring any of the dcsircd surfaces into cotiperation with the razor stropper and to do this without detaching the stropping device from the strop. To shift the strop it is simply pulled along one side and caused to slide around over its semi-cylindrical supports. One of the halves e and f of the strop, is coarse and the other is finer for finishing purposes.

In order to prevent the fingers of the operator from coming in contact with the lower half of the strop while the razor stro per is bein moved along on thestrop by the aid of the andle 18, I provide guards 55 at the top of said handle:

The semi-cylindrical support 6 has bent ofl from its sides cars 56 which carry a cross in or rod 57 upon which is mounted the audio 44. The handle 44 consists of a piece of leather or other suitable material bent over, glued and sewed as at 58 with an opening 59. The cross pin 57, which is reduced at its ends, is slipped through the opening 59 and ears 56 sprung apart to allow the reduced ends of the pin 57 to enter the holes in said ears 56 of the semi-cylindrical support 6. In this way the handle and support are assembled.

TQ prevent the strep 5. from slipping on its supports 6 and 7, I ave provide clam ing means, said means being carried by t e support 7 which will now be described.

The support 7 has bent ofi' from its sides cars 60 slmilar to the cars 56. Two curved plates 61 which in part conform to the curvature of the strop around the support 7, are rovided with cars 62 and 63 bent 0115 from t ieir sides and pivoted, to the ears 60 at 64. Each plate 61 is also provided with fingers 65 bent olf from it, said fingers being provided with cam faces 66. The fin era 65 grip over a link 6' 7, said link providing means for fastening the device to some sta tionary object, here shown as hook 68.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that when a pull is exerted on the handle 44 or on the upper and lower part of the strop 5, the fingers 65 tend to wedge apart, thus causing the plates 61 to swing about their ivots 64 and press against the strop 5, thus 0 amping said strop against the support 7.

It will be understood that when the pull on the handle 44 is relieved, the clampin effect of the clamping means is also relieve and when a pull on one side of the strop is effected, this will not affect the clamping device and will not interfere with the shifting of the strop. To get the locking effect of the strop a pull must be exerted on the upper and lower half of the strop at the same time and in the same direction and this is done by pulling on the handle 44.

The reason employ the locking device above described is to insure that the strop does not shift while the razor stro per is being drawn along on the upper hal of the strop. As it may not be necessary to use this clamping device in all instances, for instance, when the surfaces of the strop are rough, I think it advisable to use it where the surfaces are very smooth.

In Figs. 19 and 20 I have shown a modified form of strap 68 which may be used with my razor stropper which, like the strop 5, has two surfaces 9 and h of different stropping characters, the stropping machine being shiftable from one surface to the other by moving it lengthwise of the strop, the

diflerence in the two strops being that the latter is not in the form of an endless belt, but is stri ht and is en ported at its ends. It should understood that the stropper can be shifted from one surface to another, of the continuous strop, as in the modification. To accomplish this the strop must first be shifted on its support to.br1ng the ends ofthe" two surfaces midway between the two supports 6 and 7.

To use this device the razor is first stropped on one surface and then shifted over to the other surface, and stro ped, without taking the razor-stro per 0 the strop. It is obvious that this cm of strop can also be used with other forms of razor stroppers.

It will be apparent that some of the features of my invention can be applied to other forms of devices than the specific one shown in the drawing and parts of it can be used without others.

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A razor-stropping device comprising the combination of a frame, a blade-holder mounted therein, blade-shifting means mounted on the frame and connected with the blade-holder, and a handle pivoted to and supported by the blade-shifting means, the frame including parts which fit on a strop and being movable to andv fro supported by the strop.

2. A razor-stropping device comprising the combination of a frame, a blade-holder mounted therein, blade-shifting means, and a handle, the his de-shifting means including an arm pivoted to the frame and connected with the blade-holder, the handle being pivoted to and supported by the blade-shifting means, and the frame including parts which fit on a strop and being movable to and fro supported by the strop.

A razor-stropping .device comprising the combination of a main frame, a rockshaft mounted therein, a blade-holder on the rock-shaft, a secondary frame pivoted to the main frame and connected with the rockshaft, and a handle pivoted to the secondary frame on an axis transverse to the length of the handle, the main frame including parts which fit on a strop and being movable to and fro supported by the strop.

4. In a razor-stropping device the combination of a strop, a frame on said strop, a blade-holder pivoted on said frame, means for guiding the strop to clear the bladeholder, and means to one side of the bladeholder for guiding the strop so that the extended plane of said strop, at said guiding means, cuts the blade-holder when the latter has a position nearest the strop.

5. In a razor-stropping device the combination with a frame and a rock-shaft mounted therein, of a sleeve splined on the rock-shaft, and means for axially reciprocating the sleeve on the shaft, the sleeve and roek-shaft forming a support for a bladeholder.

6. In a razor-stropping device the combination of a strop. a frame on the strop, a rock-shaft mounted in the frame, a sleeve splined on the rock-shaft, a blade-holder on the sleeve, an arm extending from said sleeve and having on'it a pin, a friction-wheel on the rock-shaft, the friction-wheel having a hub containing a cam-slot into which said pin extends, and means operated by the strop to rotate the friction-wheel.

7. A razor-stropping device comprising the combination with a frame that fits on a strop and has sides between which the strop extends, and a blade-holder support pivoted at its ends to the sides of the frame, of a blade-holder having pivotally connected jaws between which said support extends, the support having flat surfaces on which said jaws lit, and shoulders which extend outward from said surfaces close to the jaws.

8.,A razor-stropping device comprising the combination with a frame that fits on a strop and has sides between which the strop extends, and a blade-holder support pivoted at its ends to the sides of the frame, of a blade-holder having clamping jaws that are pivotally connected together by means constituting a spring, the support havin outwardlyfacing surfaces on which sai jaws fit on o posite sides of the support, and the spring being under stress when the bladeholder is attached to the support.

9. A blade-holder comprising two arts forming a pair of support-clamping aws and a pair of blade-clamping jaws and a resilient pivotal connection by which said parts are secured together between the pairs.

of jaws and on which the clamping action of both pairs of jaws depends.

.10. A blade-holder comprising a pair of support-clamping jaws and a pair of bladeclamping jaws and means by which they are secured together and on which the clamping action of both pairs of jaws depends, said means including a resilient pivotal connection, and said pairs of jaws being on opposite sides of that connection.

' 11. A blade-holder comprising a supportclamping jaw and a blade-clamping jaw formed of one piece of material, and another support-clamping jaw and another bladeclamping jaw formed of another piece of material, and a resilient pivotal connection by which said two pieces of material are secured together and on which the clamping action of the support-clamping jaws and blade-clamping jaws depends.

12. In a razor-stropping device, a bladeholder con'iprising two clamping elements, and a resilient connection between said elements, said resilient connection comprising spring fingers carried by one of said elements which coactwith bent up portions of the other element.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, city, county and State of New York, this 11th day of November, 1911.

JOHN WALDHEIM.

Witnesses:

Crmnnns E. SMITH, R. S'rnorrmm. 

